Trap-door hinge for railway-coach vestibules.



I PATENTED MAY 12-, 1903. G HI 0 TRAP DOOR HINGE POR'RAILWAY COAGHVESTIBULES.

APPLIOATION PILBD PEB. 2, 1903.

.HO MODEL.

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Winess es atented May 12, 1903.

P TE T FFICE.

GEORGE H. GIFFIN, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

T'RAP-DOOR HINGE FOR RAlLWAY-COACH VESTIBULES.

' SPECIFICATION 'orming part of Letters Patent No. '727,933, dated May12, 1903.

Application filed February 2, 1903. Serial No. 141,456. (No model.)

To all whom it may cancer-n:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. GIFFIN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State ofKansasflave invented new and useful Im provements in Trap-Door Hingesfor Railway-Coach Vestibules, of which the fol- 4 lowing is aspecification.

The invention has specialreference to the newer construction ofrailway-coach vestibules, in which the sides and side doors of thevestibules are approximately on a line with the sides of the coach, thearea of the steps being covered bya trap-door which when the side doorof the vestibule is to be opened to permit ingress or egress by Way ofthe carsteps is folded back of the vestibule-door and against the end ofthe coacl'.

It is the object of the invention to provide a hinge for the trap-doorwhich is simple and economic in construction, which is strong and notreadily broken or liable to be torn from its seat, and which permits thetrap-door to 'be folded snugly against the end of the coach and alsoforms a safe support for the door. Although more especially designed foruse on trap-doors for vestibules, it will be apparent that it will proveequally desirable in other similar constructions where like objects areto be accomplished.

The invention consists of the novel combination, arrangement, anddisposition of the parts, the preferred form of the embodiment whereofis hereindescribed and claimed and is shown in the accompanyingdrawings,forming part of this specification.

Figure l is a top or plan View of the strap member. Fig. 2 is a sideView thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the line 3 3`of Figs. 1and 2. Fig. 4 is a front View of the abutting plate or stationarymember, with a dotted Outline of a portion of the trap-door and strapmember thereto attached in the position, horizontal, shown in Fig. 5,which is a section through the line 5 5, Figs. 4, 1, and 3, and whichshows the hinge attached to the trapdoor, with a portion of the coachend to which the abutting member is fitted.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalViews.

The invention is a loose-joint butt-andstrap hinge.

C is the strap member, having a knuckle E and the integral plate F,whose ends ffproject from the sides of the knuckle. butt member,havingan opening G and Slots g g exteuding laterally from the upper endthereof to accommodate, respectively, said knuckle and said plate F andprojecting ends ff.

I is a lug protruding from the plate H to form a supporting-bracket forthe trap-door 'B in order that the strain shall not all be on the strapC.

A represents a section of the framework of the coach end, A' being arecess chiseled out to accommodate the knuckle E, and B representsasection of the trap-door.

B' C' E F' represent the position of the trapdoor and strap member whenthe trap-door is folded up againstthe coach end.

D D and h h are suitable screw-holes.

The Construction and proportion of the parts comprising the hinge aresuch that when the same are assembled, as shown in Fig. 5, the plate onthe knuckle E, having the projecting pins ff, bears against the innerface of the plate H, while the trap-door secured to the inner face ofthe strap C abuts snugly against the outer face of said plate and issupported by the lug I, projecting from said ;strap or movable member Cis screwed to the under side of the trap-door, the knuckle abutting theedge of the door. It is understood, of course, that there are ordiuarilyto be a pair on each door. The hinge is connected together orinterlocked by holding the door in a vertical position, raising theknuckle E above the support I until the projections ff register with theslots gig, when they (the projections and knuckle) are pushed throughthe plate H, and the door, still held vertically, is lowered until theknuckle E rests on the support I, as shown by the dotted outline B' C'F', Fig. 5. The door may be heldin this position by any suitable means,as by a hasp, (not here shown,) When the steps are in use; The doorswings on the knuckle E, 'which bears on the lower side of the opening G'and on the supportl and is held snugly up against His the IOO the endof the coach by the pin F and projections ff.

The plate F and projeetions ff are wider than the Slots g g, so as toform a elosure for said slots, thus preventing dirt from getting in andelogging the paris.

There may be slight variations from the exact description shown he'enand in the drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- In atrap`do0r hinge the eombination with the strap C provided with theknuckle E having the plate F and pins ff projeeting laterally from saidplate, of an abutting plate H having an opening Gr and slots g g,whereby the sti-ap O may be operatively connected to the abuttiug plateand be supported thereby.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE H. GIFF IN.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH GROLL, JOHN PRESCOTT.

